July 22, 2005
Food Stamp Program Recognized for Excellence
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services has received the Mountain Plains Region Summit Award for excellence in the overall management of the state food stamp program. The Summit Award is presented each year based on the following criteria:
- Payment accuracy rate;
- Improvement in payment accuracy from previous year;
- Timeliness in application processing; and
- Error rate lower than that of previous year.
Ten states in the Mountain Plains Region compete for the award each year.
Montana reduced its error rate over the past year from 5.78 percent to 4.33 percent, according to Hank Hudson, administrator of the Human and Community Services Division of DPHHS. He also noted that the number of Montana food stamp recipients has increased by about 30 percent since 2000.
DPHHS issues about $7.5 million in food stamp benefits each month to 34,680 households in Montana.
To apply for SNAP, visit your local Office of Public Assistance. For more information about SNAP, contact Hudson at 444-5902 or hhudson@mt.gov or visit the DPHHS Web site. Click on Programs & Services, Public Assistance.
Page last updated: 06/15/2006
